Sports Headline Roundup

In an effort to keep you informed, Out of Bounds Mag will do a periodic round-up of interesting items around the sports world.

Despite the NCAA’s often-touted claims that participation in intercollegiate athletics is better for student-athletes and athletes graduate at rates higher than their non-athlete peers, Inside Higher Ed reported this week this trend does not hold true for Black athletes in the biggest conferences:

Just half of black male athletes at the 65 top football and basketball institutions graduate within six years, a new study found. Other black students and other athletes fare much better at most colleges.

In other words, in the conferences with the most money on the line, graduating the athletes who bring in the bulk of that money is not a high priority. Read more here.

Now that most people’s brackets are shot, check out these alternative brackets that show you who would win if the tournament were based on teams’ academic performance and LGBT equality.

The NCAA Board of Governors announced a one-time supplemental distribution of $200 million to Division I schools, coming spring 2017, to be used explicitly for programs that benefit student-athletes. According to an NCAA press release:

Athletics departments will be permitted to use the funds to create endowments that directly support students, to launch financial literacy and mental health programs, or to expand academic advising and tutoring resources, for example. Additionally, uses can include funding for scholarships up to the full cost of attendance, four-year guaranteed scholarships and unlimited meals and snacks for athletes, all of which have been approved in Division I in the past two years.

Under Armour is continuing its advertising blitz in the run-up to the 2016 Olympic Games with another outing in its “Rule Yourself” campaign, this time a dramatic opus featuring Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time with 22 medals.

In other interesting Under Armour news, Darren Rovell reported on Twitter that Notre Dame is UA’s largest sponsorship deal, worth over $10M/year. Stephen F. Austin is one of the smallest, at $30K/year.

The company recently revealed plans for its new 50 acre development coming soon to Baltimore, one the Baltimore Sun calls “a sprawling waterfront campus featuring three skyscrapers and a small stadium.” See pictures and video renderings on the Sun‘s website.

The recent fining of several Latin American countries by FIFA for homophobic chanting during 2018 World Cup qualifying games has again placed the spotlight on one of the more unsavory aspects of the beautiful game. Read more here.